Make Me Whole
by truthseeker97
Summary: She was going to get raped, hurt, broken. But then again, she already was wasn't she? After a terrifying ordeal, Benedict Cumberbatch falls for Lucy, and he falls hard, but can he help her from the nightmares that still plague the one he loves? Trigger warning for possible self harm and suicidal thoughts. Please leave a review if you like! ABANDONED
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note- I'm obsessed with Benedict Cumberbatch, so I've decided to type up a fanfiction that I started writing in form! Please leave a little review if you like it! Oh, and for the sake of the story, let's say Benedict is thirty and my OC is twenty five. It's under the Sherlock catergory as I wasn't sure where else to put it.**

**Rated 't' for now.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Benedict, I do however, own the girl.**

Chapter 1 

She was sprinting; running faster than she had ever run before. Breaths coming out in laboured pants, she winced as she felt a stitch in her right side. The night was dark, pitch black with only the street lights illuminating the deserted street. Turning sharply into an alley, she gasped for breath and flinched as she heard rapid footfalls behind her. She turned to run down the alley, but cried out in frustration as she noticed it was a dead end.

"There you are gorgeous." She whipped around with wide eyes as she faced the group of men. Three middle aged men loomed menacingly over the frightened twenty five year old.

"Thought you could get away did ya?" Another man hissed, his words slurring slightly.

"Leave me alone!" She cried out, but screamed in pain as they roughly grabbed her- slapping her and pinning her against the cold, hard wall. She couldn't move.

"Shut up bitch!" A gruff voice ordered from right by her ear; she could practically feel his breath on her cheek as he leaned in close. He pressed his hand against her mouth and shushed her with an evil glint in his eye. As two of the men pinned her down, the other man began to slowly undress the shaking woman, tearing at her clothes. She screamed and cried at the bleak reality of her situation, but her cries were not heard, lost in the night with the only answer being the spiteful laughter of her attackers. She was almost naked, apart from her underwear; her dignity was being slowly stripped from her. All the hope seemed to be drained from her world as she stood there in nothing but her underwear. And the worst part? The sick bastards were enjoying every moment of her torture.

"No! Stop!" She sobbed.

"Hush now," a man snapped, grabbing roughly at her jaw as she screamed again into the night. She closed her eyes, letting go of what little remaining hope she had left.

"What on earth do you men think you're doing?!" A sudden voice shouted from the entrance of the alley. His calm voice was deep, and it seemed like hope had come.

"Just having some fun mate. Wanna join?" The men laughed.

"Get off of her!" The stranger ordered them angrily as he strode forward, his tone menacing. In the darkness, the woman couldn't make out his features- but her saviour looked slim, and about six foot tall. The men had backed off as the man approached, intimidating her attackers. "Now I suggest you leave, and never touch her or anyone else again!" He yelled. Knowing they were going to be threatened by the tall man otherwise, the attackers shot the woman a glare before running off into the night.

As soon as they were out of sight, her saviour came swiftly to kneel beside her. She had collapsed onto the ground crying her eyes out, her head in her arms; shaking, from the terrifying encounter. Tentatively, the man reached out and touched her arm in comfort, she flinched, but relaxed under his warm touch.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured reassuringly, "I've got you." His voice was soft, and soothing, gentle. From his pocket, he withdrew a mobile phone, "It's a bit dark..." he muttered as he turned the phone on- illuminating the two people with its bright glow. With her head still in her arms, she heard shuffling as the man gathered her clothes.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, "You're hurt..." His voice was seemingly saddened, as he looked at the bruises and cuts on her body. But he frowned in extreme concern at the cuts- some were new from the night's events, but some were older, some were scars. They littered her arms, and legs, some were even on her stomach. He swallowed, unsure whether or not to breach the subject and ask how she obtained them. Deciding against it, he rubbed her shoulder. Finally, once she had gotten hold of herself, the woman looked up into the eyes of the man before her. Feeling self conscious, she drew her knees in more and covered her body with her arms and hands, shivering slightly.

The man's eyes were a mixture of green and blue, and he had dark- slightly wavy- hair. He also had sharp cheekbones and a gentle smile that made you feel safe and secure. He adorned an expensive looking suit, and a grey coat to keep from the chill. The woman knew who he was, and if it wasn't for the situation she would be grinning like mad.

"Come on, you look cold, let's get you into your clothes." The man was kind, and unfazed by her lack of clothing. He took a gentle hold of her wrist and body and helped her onto her unsteady feet. She proceeded to put on her still intact jeans, but hesitated as she saw her top was ripped when she put it on. Another few tears leaked from her eyes as she fought to control her haywire emotions. She shivered again. The man paused for a moment, worry written all over his young, good-looking face, before he took off his grey coat. Wrapping it around the woman, he smiled at her:

"You need it more than I do, you look freezing," He told her.

"Thank you," for the first time the young woman spoke. Her voice was quiet, but ever so genuine. He flashed another smile.

"Let's get out of here shall we?" He suggested, "I'll take you back to my flat, it's very close by." The woman was shocked at his generosity, and at his extremely kind offer.

"Are you sure, I don't want to impose..." she babbled nervously and quietly.

"Hey now, it's okay. Yes I'm more than sure. I want you to come round," He told her, with concern still in his eyes. Taking her hand, the two started to walk back down the silent street.

"Thank you, for what you did back there. Thank you for saving me," She suddenly said to him.

"I wouldn't say I saved you..." he started.

"You did, if it wasn't for you... I don't know what would have happened," her voice shook, still scared from the ordeal.

"Well I'm glad I could be your knight in shining armour. Or... man in grey coat." He joked lightly. She smiled a little as they came to the door of his flat.

"Oh how rude, I haven't introduced myself," the man said, seeming appalled at his lack of manners.

"Well I'm Lucy Moore," Lucy introduced herself. She knew who the man was, but let him introduce himself anyway.

"I'm Benedict Cumberbatch," Benedict said smiling, "Apologies if you find my name ridiculous, I assure you it is my real name." He laughed, and she joined him.

"Oh I know who you are Mr Cumberbatch," she told him. "Thank you so much for saving me."

"You're more than welcome Lucy." He wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulder and squeezed her arm slightly, "And, please, call me Benedict."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note- Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews, and the positive feedback. It really means alot to me! Please continue to review if you like it! Anyways, on with the show eh?**

**Disclaimer- I'm pretty sure Benedict owns himself, I don't own him. **

Chapter 2

The flat itself was actually rather neat and very warm. Its walls were coloured in a light paint that was a light cream colour, and the decor consisted of a white and black theme; classy. A few pictures in frames were placed on desks and on the ledge above a fireplace. This flat wasn't cheap, but then again, Benedict probably had a nice sum of cash to his name. In all honesty Lucy was thrilled to be in the house of a well-known actor whom she admired. But after the recent events of the night, she wasn't in a very good state at all- in fact, she was still trying to control her body from shaking; and every now and then she would have to bite her lip to fight back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. So much worse could have been done to her, she could have been raped. Hurt. Broken. But in her mind, she had already been broken long before those men hurt her. Lucy looked around her in wonder, the flat was lovely. Benedict had watched the woman as she took in his flat; he slowly moved over to her side and touched her arm.

"You have a lovely home," Lucy told him.

"Thank you," his lips quirked into a smile, "It's only temporary though, I'm due to move out in a week." He glanced at her mildly surprised face, "It was only ever meant to be temporary accommodation, but then I got a few job offers and didn't have much time to be thinking about moving house." He shrugged, "But I'm, shall we say, on holiday for a bit now. I've done so much work recently that it's started to wear me out." He laughed happily, "But I'll be glad to move into a bigger house with a back garden in a better area and be able to just relax for a bit."

"You must get tired after all that acting," Lucy smiled slightly, "I think you're an amazing actor by the way! I would have said so when I first saw you properly, but under the circumstances it wasn't the first thing on my mind..."

"Oh wow, thank you. And I understand- no need to worry." He grinned at the compliment.

"Where are you thinking of moving?" She queried.

"Not far, somewhere quieter in London I guess." He paused, and then gently asked, "How are you feeling?"

"How am I supposed to feel?" Lucy shrugged sighing heavily, her eyes downcast, "I just got attacked and almost raped. All my emotions seem jumbled."

"That's perfectly understandable," Benedict reassured her quietly, "Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee would be lovely thank you," she murmured gratefully. She never realised just how nice and... Down to earth Benedict could be. "Black, two sugars." Suddenly, Benedict laughed slightly at how she has her coffee. Lucy looked surprised:

"Have I missed a joke?" She asked smiling at his laughter.

"Oh no, nothing, just me being strange. Well, actually... The order of your coffee and the way you said it was exactly the same as Sherlock's order!" Lucy rolled her eyes, but bit back a laugh. "Have you seen Sherlock?"

"Of course I've seen it!" She exclaimed as though everyone in the world had seen it, and therefore so should she, "I hope I didn't say it as arrogantly as you did as Sherlock." She quipped. Benedict grinned while leading her to his kitchen.

"Oh no, you said it nicely. And I don't believe you are a high-functioning sociopath."

"I don't believe I am either," Lucy laughed as he set about making their drinks.

Benedict watched her with worried eyes as he finished making the drinks; he had told her to go take a seat and make herself comfortable and at home, but it was obvious how shaken up she was. He frowned slightly, _of course she's going to be like this, she has just been attacked, _he thought to himself. From inside one of the cupboards he retrieved a first aid kit, her wounds weren't bad, but he wanted to ensure the cuts those men inflicted on her wouldn't get infected. Once again, he glanced back at her, this time with a small smile creeping onto his face. She was pretty- very much so- that, he couldn't deny. _No, scrap that,_ he thought. She's stunning. Her long brown hair hung past her shoulders and looked soft to touch, she had greenish eyes that were clouded with fright. Benedict's heart went out to the poor woman, he wanted nothing more than to see her smile- and see her eyes sparkle with happiness rather than the sadness they currently conveyed. Looking at her body, Benedict noted just how slim Lucy was- no dangerously slim- but slim nonetheless. Eyes ghosting over her, he realised she still wore his coat to cover her ripped top. Walking swiftly to his bedroom, he withdrew a grey jumper for her to wear; it was his jumper, but it was better than nothing.

"Here," he said as he entered the living room. He saw Lucy jump and turn to look at him; he instantly apologised: "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you." He held out the jumper, "Here, put that on, it'll be better than a ripped top..."

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully, accepting the jumper.

"I'll go get the drinks," Benedict said, giving her time to change clothes.

Lucy was grateful for all that Benedict had done for her; they had only just met and he was so sweet in all that he did. He even treated her wounds, saying that he didn't want them to become infected, and he made really good coffee! She hugged his grey jumper around her, revelling in the warmth it provided. It had been such a surreal evening, never before had she thought she would ever meet her favourite actor- let alone have coffee in his flat with him! Everything was still replaying in her mind though; it taunted her, and frightened her. She told Benedict all that happened before he came along, and he offered comfort as he sat next to her, listening to the scared woman. He held her hand gently, and squeezed it reassuringly whenever she seemed on the edge of tears. And when she did cry, he would comfort her and wipe the wetness away. They stayed there and talked about each other's families. Benedict had no girlfriend, and his family didn't live near London, so he was mostly on his own with friends. Lucy also lived in London, about a ten minute drive from Benedict's flat in fact! She lived in a much smaller, cheaper flat of her own as she couldn't afford much. Her family was spread around, with her parents living up north and her sister living in America- so she was on her own away from family a lot. Benedict learned that she was a writer- she loved to write books and tell stories. She was yet to have an agent to publish anything but she was working on it! But most recently- to acquire money- Lucy had been working in a restaurant every now and then. It wasn't ideal- but it helped pay the bills. Glancing at the clock, she realised just how late it was, and felt awful for making Benedict stay up so late.

"I'm sorry, I should go- I didn't realise the time. I didn't mean to make you stay up so long!" She profusely apologised. She made a move to get up off the sofa, but Benedict instantly moved with her and put a hand on her arm- pushing her back down.

"No! No it's fine," he said quickly. Benedict actually didn't want her to leave, he liked her- alot. It was strange for him because he had only just met her, but even he couldn't deny the fact that his heart skipped a beat with every smile she gave him. "Why don't you stay the night?" He suddenly asked hopefully. Lucy looked slightly shocked at the sudden suggestion; Benedict began to worry, hoping he hadn't scared her. "I just... I don't want you to be on your own." He stammered, unsure how to convince her to stay, "Please, I don't want you to go..." He admitted.

"You... don't want me to go?" Lucy repeated, seeming a tad confused. Benedict nodded:

"Please, stay the night. I have a spare bedroom that is tidy," he looked a little hopeful. Lucy smiled, had she really just been asked to stay the night round Benedict Cumberbatch's house?

"I don't want to impose..."

"Oh you won't!" He reassured her.

"In that case," she smiled and took a breath, "I'd love to!"

A while later, both people decided that they better get some rest. Lucy groaned at the realisation that she actually had no pyjamas or night clothes to wear; but Benedict seemed to notice her predicament and lent her a white t-shirt to wear.

"What about pyjama bottoms?" Benedict mused as he looked around his bedroom. Lucy was sat on the edge of his bed, watching him. His bedroom was kept fairly neat- like the rest of his house, a few things were strewn here and there; but then again, he did live on his own.

"It doesn't matter Benedict," Lucy told him, "I can wear the trousers I have on."

"You can't wear them all night!" He said. "You'll get too hot- especially if you wear underwear with them." He added in a murmur. Lucy burst out laughing, and Benedict- having realised what he said- groaned, "Oh god, I'm sorry," he apologised, embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it!" She giggled. While Benedict remained embarrassed, he was secretly pleased that she was laughing, that she was happy- it made him glad to see her like it.

In the end, Benedict found a pair of blue tartan pyjama bottoms that she could wear. Although they were big on her- they managed to tighten them slightly so they just stayed on. The two found themselves laughing over the whole situation a lot, and they both loved it. Living on their own- they both could get quite lonely, so it was obvious how much they were enjoying each other's company. At last, very late at night, Benedict showed Lucy the spare room and stayed with her until she was ready to fall asleep.

"Thank you Benedict. I'm serious, thank you for everything. You've made my evening so much better. If it weren't for you I'd be lying in that alley way- after having God knows what happen to me. And you've made me so happy, just by having coffee together I felt happy. I've not felt like this in ages." She turned to look at his gentle face with big green eyes, "Thank you." She whispered. Benedict didn't really know what to say, he was touched to the core by her words, and found himself speechless.

"Well, I must admit I haven't felt like this in ages either," he told her quietly. Lucy sat up from her lying down position to put herself on level with Benedict's sitting position. Gazing at her with kind eyes, Benedict wrapped his arm around her side and pulled her gently into his body. Wrapping the other arm around her, he pulled her into a warm, comforting, tight hug. Lucy sighed contentedly as she smelt his wonderful scent, feeling at home in his strong arms. It was in that moment that she felt her heart skip a beat. She loved him. There, she finally admitted it. Ever since she first saw him on Sherlock she had developed a crush on him. But that was just one of those celebrity things that everyone ended up growing out of. However this was different, so much different. Hell, she actually loved him. But her heart sank when she realised that he would probably not love her back, chances are that by tomorrow she would leave, go away from his life forever. All Lucy wanted was to perhaps have a good friendship with him- even if she would always want it to be something more. Settling her head against his chest she thought that it must meant something if he was so desperate to have her stay the night, unless she was just being hopeful in her mind. But she liked that thought and she was going to carry on believing it was true.

"I better go to bed," Benedict murmured tiredly- sounding a little sad at the thought of leaving.

"Okay then," Lucy tried to stifle an oncoming yawn. Benedict pulled away and gave the woman a small smile. He leaned forward, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight Lucy," he murmured happily as he got up.

"Goodnight Benedict," Lucy whispered back as he left. Touching her cheek with tentative fingertips, she felt the warm burn where his lips had been moments before. Relishing the feel of it, she was half convinced this was all just a dream. But no, she had just been kissed- on the cheek- by the man she had fallen so hard for.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note- Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites and follows. It all means so much to me! As previously said on my other fan fictions, I apologise for not updating recently, but a supposed 'friend' said some nasty stuff about my fan fictions and stories I write on here. It's really knocked my confidence a little. One complaint is the way I describe things, and the fact I use my name a lot- which I do because I find it better for me to use my emotions in that character. So I'm sorry if you don't like it... **

**On with the show eh?**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing.**

Chapter 3

The inviting aroma of eggs, bacon, and a variety of breakfast foods wafted into the spare bedroom, gently awaking Lucy from her light slumber. It had been a surprisingly dreamless night, she had expected nightmares and horrors, but instead ended up with a blank mind; not that she was complaining. Lucy hummed contentedly as she stretched her aching limbs, wincing as she heard her bones crack a bit. It had felt like a dream, it honestly had; just a blissful dream, a fantasy. And yet, it was the shocking reality of her situation. She had been saved by a breathtakingly gorgeous man whom she had fallen so hard for, and that breathtakingly gorgeous man was none other than the talented, and amazing, Benedict Cumberbatch. A small giggle escaped her pink lips at the thought. She was wearing his clothes for pyjamas, and was sleeping in his spare bedroom at his flat. Even as she thought these things it still felt completely surreal to her. But that wasn't the best bit; oh no. The beginnings of a warm blush crept onto her pale cheeks as she recalled the kiss; she reached up and touched the skin of her cheek, still feeling the tingle of where his lips had been placed. It was tender, and yet it meant so much to her. With a sad sigh she reasoned that it was probably just a friendly, reassuring kiss- after all she had a pretty rough night, being attacked like that. But deep down she hoped that maybe, just maybe, it meant something.

Her body felt sore all over which caused her to wince slightly as she began to make her way out to Benedict's kitchen to say good morning. A wide grin spread onto her face as she saw him, cooking away, wearing only pyjama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. At the sound of her quiet footfalls, Ben turned around and greeted her with a warm smile that lit up his blue-green eyes.

"Good morning Lucy, sleep well?"

"Morning Ben, I slept very well thank you," She stepped forward, her mouth watering at all the delicious smells. "That smells amazing."

"Thank you," he watched her walk over to him, "I thought I'd make us a good breakfast, I'm quite hungry, and I expect you are too." He finished dishing up the food as he spoke. On each plate was two slices of toast, one slice covered in baked beans, the other with an egg with runny yolk; a couple of rashers of bacon and peeled plum tomatoes in a tomato sauce. It looked wonderful, and Lucy's stomach rumbled slightly in approval. Before bringing the plates over to the table in the kitchen, Benedict turned to Lucy and carefully wrapped her in a tight hug, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"How are you doing?" He asked gently, concerned.

"Surprisingly alright," Lucy answered honestly, "I expected nightmares, but I didn't dream at all. I don't think it's really sunk in yet." Her admission worried Ben slightly, he didn't want her to get worse, but he didn't let it show.

"Well that's good," he smiled at her as they broke the embrace to sit down and eat.

Benedict was nervous; very much so in fact. He sincerely hoped it didn't show on his face. Looking at Lucy, his breath was taken away, no, it was knocked out of him; she was beautiful, even when she was wearing his clothes, with her brown hair in a mess. He wanted to kiss her; he wanted to kiss her much more than a small kiss on the cheek. Ben wanted to love her, to show her what it was like to be loved. But he wasn't sure what to do. He had known her for barely even a day, about twelve hours at most, and yet he already loved her. Slightly ridiculous wasn't it? To fall in love with one so quickly was the definition of love at first sight. He had fallen so hard for her he was surprised he didn't have bruises. And even so, his heart sank, would she love him? How could he get her to stay another night? He ran a hand through his hair at his inner turmoil.

"Are you alright?" Lucy's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" Ben's eyes shot up to look into her green ones, "Yeah I'm fine, uh, yeah, fine." He winced at his pathetic stammering, and blushed slightly when the woman across from him gave him a confused look. They were silent, neither knowing what to say, even though the same things were on their mind. Eventually, Lucy decided to ask:

"When would you like me to leave?"

"What?" Benedict gave her a startled look at the sudden question, and without even thinking he blurted out: "I don't want you to leave." As soon as those words left his mouth he chastised himself mentally, how could this perfect woman in front of him make him lose control and composure? He was supposed to be the calm, composed Benedict that people knew; not the stammering one who said things without even thinking. Tentatively, he looked up to meet her gaze.

"You don't want me to leave?" Lucy repeated slowly, unsure what to say, but much to Benedict's relief she looked quite pleasantly surprised. Now Ben was at a crossroad, either he could say that it slipped out and that he didn't mean it- and perhaps ruin whatever chance he had with her; or he could say that he meant it, every word and confess his love. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath, it would be a bit soon to confess his love- and he wanted to do it the proper way. He wouldn't rush; he wanted to take his time. But ultimately he knew what road to go down.

"That is correct," he started, unsurely, "I know this may seem preposterous, perhaps even absolutely ridiculous, but... Lucy... I really like you. Hell, I love you. And you probably don't feel the same, after all we have known each other for a few mere hours, but I mean it- every word." He looked at her shocked face, his heart thumping in his chest and let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. There, he had said it.

"Are..." Lucy hesitated, "Are you serious?" She looked doubtful.

"Positive. I wouldn't joke Lucy. I've fallen for you, more than I have ever done before. And I want to be with you. If this is all too fast then that's fine, I understand- but I love you."

"Benedict..." She seemed at an absolute loss for words, "I... I like you a lot..." She paused again, thinking her words through. And in that moment, Ben's heart sank slightly, thinking that she was about to say that she didn't love him. "I think I even love you." His heart rose and a beaming smile brightened up his whole face. "But Ben, I don't think we should rush into anything."

"Oh I agree. It's all been rather quick hasn't it? I don't want to rush, but then I didn't want to lose you if I didn't say anything. Maybe... we can get to know each other first?" He suggested hopefully, trying not to babble nervously.

"I'd like that a lot." Lucy smiled again, and her smile seemed to wipe away all the previous torment of the night before.

"Then it's a date."

Shortly after, Lucy thanked Ben for her delightfully delicious breakfast, and excused herself to have a shower. The taller man showed her where the shower was and what shampoo and body wash she was allowed to use, and also supplied her with a brand new shower scrunchie. The young woman spent perhaps a little longer in the shower than she normally would have. She closed her eyes and let the hot pins of water wash away the dirt; scrubbing her body until her skin was raw. In all honesty, Lucy felt dirty. Those men last night had affected her far more than she let on, and she had to scrub her skin to get rid of the feel of their rough hands on her naked flesh. She shuddered at the thought. Drying herself off, she cursed quietly at the lack of clean clothes. Her clothes from last night were pretty much destroyed, and she couldn't put Ben's pyjamas back on. Looking around the luxurious bathroom, she breathed a small sigh of relief as she noticed the grey dressing gown hanging on the back of the door. She felt bad for not asking if she could use it- but she didn't really want to walk out naked or wrapped in a towel.

"Ben!" She called out when she couldn't find him in the living room or kitchen.

"Yeah, are you okay Lucy?" He immediately called back, worry evident in his voice. The door to his bedroom clicked open and Benedict strode out to her.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were in your room." She blushed.

"Its fine, I was just finishing getting changed." He looked at her and smirked, a playful twinkle in his gorgeous eyes, "Nice dressing gown, suits you."

"Thanks!" Lucy played along, "I really think it's my colour." Ben chuckled and Lucy couldn't help but laugh a bit too. "Actually," she started once they stopped their laughter, "I don't have any clean clothes..."

"Oh yes, how rude of me, terribly sorry, I didn't even think..." Ben rambled, shocked at his apparent rudeness- although Lucy couldn't see what was so rude, "Um, how about I give you something to borrow for a bit until we can get back to yours."

"If you're okay with that."

"I am, of course, come on." He led her into his bedroom as he- once again- began rummaging through his drawers. "How's this?" Ben held up a long sleeved grey jumper- a bit darker than the one she wore last night.

"Yes, that's great thank you," she accepted the jumper gratefully.

"I'm afraid I don't think my jeans or trousers would fit you," he looked at her apologetically.

"Oh that's fine!" She laughed, "My ones from last night are still intact."

"What about underwear?" Benedict suddenly burst out, without even thinking. Lucy blushed and began laughing at Benedict's horrified expression, "Lucy, I'm sorry, that was a bit... un-gentlemanly of me..."

"No, no it's fine," She gasped out in between bursts of laughter. "I'll wear what I had on last night, it won't be for long after all."

The two had agreed that Ben would take Lucy back to her flat so she could collect some of her clothes to stay around his for a couple of days, that way, they could get to know each other- and Lucy only had two days of work during the week; which was perfect. Stepping out of Benedict's flat, the young woman breathed in the cool London morning air, relishing the freshness it brought.

"Dammit." Ben exclaimed, "One minute Lucy, I need to go back and get my phone."

"Okay," she smiled at him as he dashed back indoors. Looking across the street, she watched a few lone people walk by. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a group of three middle aged men. Her heart leapt in her chest, her eyes widened and her breathing quickened as she backed away from them, further away from Benedict's flat, hoping they wouldn't see her. But luck wasn't on her side. Mind you, luck was never on her side. Lucy always thought that she was never meant for this world, she was worthless, pathetic. She never had it easy, or good. It was always one thing after the other. One of the larger men pointed to her with his eyes narrowed from across the street, he nudged his companions, who in turn, looked at her with malice filled eyes. Her mind was racing at a million miles a minute, she knew those men, and she knew those eyes of hatred. And they, unfortunately, appeared to remember her. They were about to cross the road towards her, their stride confident, when Benedict suddenly appeared beside her. Concern was written all over his handsome features.

"Lucy? Lucy what's wrong?" He asked, his voice rising with worry. But her eyes were focussed on the other side of the street. The three men had decided to move on as though nothing had happened, but they shot her a dangerous look before they rounded the corner out of sight. That look, it was one that conveyed a warning. She knew they'd be back for her. They wanted what they didn't get to have. Benedict had saved her again, but he couldn't watch over her twenty four, seven...

"Lucy?" He took her face in his hands, "Come on, it's okay, talk to me." She remained silent. Her mind was spinning, her vision clouded. Tears had begun to trail down her cheeks, and she felt as though there was a huge weight on her chest- and she couldn't breathe.

"Ben..." she breathed his name helplessly.

"Lucy, it's okay, I'm here..." His voice was getting fainter. The world around the troubled woman started to blur, her peripheral vision becoming foggy and grey. The last thing she remembered was Benedict calling out her name, startled, as she started to fall into the depths of unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note- thank you so much for the continued support everyone! We have over 600 views on this story. I'm so happy you like it, so please leave a little review if you are enjoying it so far. It makes me update faster *hint hint*.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing.**

Chapter 4

To say Benedict was worried was to say the least. Luckily he had caught her in his arms before she hit the ground as she fell, so she wouldn't have any injuries. But as he looked at her unconscious figure lying on his bed, he wondered what had caused her to faint. As soon as he caught her, Ben had carried her inside and into his bedroom- where he proceeded to lay her on the comfortable bed. He sat beside her, unwilling to leave her side in case she needed him. She had been staring across the street when he noticed she was a bit... out of it. But when he looked, there was no-one on the other side of the road. Maybe she just hadn't been feeling well, or maybe all the trauma from the previous night had finally caught up on her. But either way, he was bloody worried!

She looked peaceful, just lying there. God he loved the woman. He loved her so much it was quite extraordinary. All he wanted to do was spend the rest of his life with her, he wanted her to move in to his new house with him, he wanted to marry her and have children. He wanted to show her just how much he loved her; because she deserved it.

Ben had some first aid training, so he had propped her legs and feet up on a couple of pillows to increase the blood flow to her brain. So, with a bit of luck, she would wake up soon. He sighed; looking at her his eyes flew straight to her plump, kissable lips. Oh how he wanted to just kiss her all day, feel her lips against his, taste her and relish the closeness. Ben wanted to hug her, and feel her warm body press again his; he liked to be close to people after all. Wanting to touch her, he shifted to lie beside her on the bed, snaking his arm gently under her to pull her body closer to his. But it wasn't long before he felt her weight shift on him slightly as she began to come round. He continued to stroke Lucy's hair soothingly as she awoke; she turned to look up at him with her gorgeous green eyes.

"Ben..." she murmured his name with a softness in her voice.

"I'm here, its okay Lucy, you're okay." He reassured her.

"I fainted," she muttered.

"You did, you haven't been out for long though." Benedict smiled gently, "Are you okay?" He asked with genuine concern in his deep voice.

"Yeah, I guess," She frowned. She was going to say why she fainted, but she didn't want to worry him, so instead she decided to lie: "I'm not sure what happened. I just felt really dizzy, and the last thing I remember is me saying your name and you calling mine before I blacked out."

"Really, are you sure there's not more?" Ben pressed, thinking about her staring at the street.

"I'm sure," she hated herself for lying, but there was no point in worrying him.

"Okay, well I'm glad you're feeling a little better now."

"Thank you Ben," she murmured.

"For what?"

"For everything." Lucy grinned up at him before shifting to sit up slightly. She winced as a wave of dizziness washed over her, but it soon passed.

"Anything for you my gorgeous girl." His arms snaked around her slim waist as he tentatively pulled her into a tight hug. With such enthusiasm, the young woman practically leapt on him as she buried her face into his neck gratefully; inhaling his perfect scent. She hummed contentedly.

"Is this real?" Lucy mumbled into his neck. She heard and felt Benedict's warm chuckle, and felt his lips press against her head.

"Do you want me to pinch you?" He grinned as he gently nipped her side. Lucy squealed and gasped as an onslaught of gentle pinches quickly turned into an attack of tickles.

"No! Please, stop," she gasped for breath, "Please Ben, oh god, stop stop stop!"

"Do I want to even ask?" Both Ben and Lucy practically jumped out of their skin as a disembodied voice spoke aloud. They gave each other an incredulous look, wondering whether they were going mad. "Hello?" They frowned as the voice continued to speak- even though it was slightly muffled sounding.

"Who is this?" Ben didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"It's Martin you prat, you called me!" The voice on the phone- Martin replied laughing. Suddenly Benedict's eyes widened with realisation as he lifted his hips to take his mobile phone out of his pocket. Lucy burst out laughing, as did Benedict; he had accidentally dialled a friend on his mobile and put it on loudspeaker when they were tickling. What the hell were the chances? Both of them thought.

"Oh God," Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"So what on earth did I just hear?" Martin queried on the other end of the phone.

"Nothing rude, I assure you," Benedict bit back a giggle, (an actual giggle!) "Just Lucy and I tickling... don't ask."

"Ooh who's Lucy?"

"Hang on;" Lucy spoke up, "Who's Martin? As far as I know he could just be a random stranger." Benedict gave her a sideways grin.

"Martin Freeman." He said his friend's name.

"Oh my God, Martin Freeman? As in, THE Martin Freeman?" Lucy's mouth was agape, "Wow, hey there Martin! I'm Lucy."

"Hey Lucy," Martin chuckled, "But uh... who actually are you? Oh wait, let me guess!"

"Oh dear," Ben face-palmed, groaning, "Nothing rude Martin, we're in polite company."

"Well, I'm not there so I'm not in this polite company," the actor cheekily quipped, "Is she... an actress?"

"No." Ben said.

"Porn star?"

"Martin!" Benedict exclaimed, horrified.

"Should I take that as a no?" They could hear Martin laugh loudly.

"Yes you should." Ben grumbled, seemingly offended at the fact that anyone could call Lucy something like a porn star when she was nothing short of perfection.

"Is she a friend?"

"You could say that," he gave me a wink.

"Are you two in a sexual relationship?" If Martin were there, Lucy guessed he would be asking this with a completely serious face.

"Whoa! We only met yesterday! Let's not rush ahead!" Ben blushed, embarrassed; he gave Lucy a quick glance through his eyelashes. She just smiled back, loving how happy he seemed to be in her company.

"Ooh, so girlfriend?"

"Yes, correct," Benedict bit his lip as he wrapped an arm over Lucy's shoulder.

"Can I meet her?"

"Oh god... well you haven't made the best first impression..."

"Oh come on, I'm your best mate!" Martin pleaded.

"Can I meet him Ben?" Lucy asked hopefully, "He seems so nice."

"Uh fine," He gave in, with a joking smile.

"Great!" Martin exclaimed from the other end, "When are you two free?"

"Well I'm at work tomorrow- I mean... Monday, and Tuesday- so I'm not free then." Lucy informed them.

"Wednesday?" Martin suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Ben agreed, after all, he had a break from work himself for a bit.

"Excellent, I'll see you then. I'll give you a call tomorrow Ben, but I gotta go, me and Amanda are going out for a bit." Martin said, "Nice chatting to you Lucy, can't wait to meet you! See ya."

"Bye," they chorused.

Once the phone had been put- on lock- safely back in Ben's pocket, the two turned to look at each other and just started laughing again. The surreal feeling of the past few minutes still hung in the air.

"How on earth did you do that in your pocket?" Lucy asked between gasps, "And on loudspeaker!"

"I have no clue!" Ben chuckled, burying his face in her delicious smelling, soft brown hair. Lucy turned to come face to face with the man whom she had fallen so hard for. She took in his handsome features, sharp defined cheekbones, eyes coloured green and blue that sparkled and his lips. Oh his lips, with that cupids bow. He was perfect. Look up perfect in the dictionary and Lucy was sure that she would find Benedict's name as the definition. Their eyes met, both sparkling with love and content.

Benedict moved himself closer to the young woman until their foreheads were touching. He breathed in the sweet scent of her perfume, relishing the warmth of her skin against his. Lifting his smooth hand, he stroked back a stray strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. With his index finger he traced a pattern along her pale neck, listening to her gentle breathing. He placed a hand over her heart, and she replicated the action on his chest- both, felt the other's heart beat. A gentle drum against their hands; it was a sign they were together, their hearts beat as one. Both were oh so alive, and oh so in love. Benedict reached his fingers up to her chin and tilted her head, leaning forward ever so slightly until his lips met hers. Tender, soft, gentle, both lost in the moment. Lips against lips, tasting the sweet taste of the other. It was bliss, pure bliss. Fireworks went off behind their eyes. Neither had felt like this before, it was like they were kissing for the first time. And it was perfect.

Oh so perfect.


End file.
